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Insider guide to Pondicherry

On India's east coast in Tamil Nadu, the old streets of Pondicherry - or Pondy, as locals call it - have been in the spotlight recently as a backdrop for Life of Pi. Here, Pondicherry-based author AKASH KAPUR reveals his highlights of his home city.

'For a small city, Pondicherry is wonderfully cosmopolitan. There's south Indian culture, of course, and the French colonial presence. Then there's the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the township of Auroville, which have been drawing people from around the world for decades.

'These influences have given the place a truly international feel. Pondicherry's Old Town is unique to India; you come across whole colonial-era streetscapes that have been brilliantly preserved. Wander down Rue Dumas or Rue Labourdonnais and you'll find wide, tree-lined boulevards and French villas painted in pastel shades. A definitive Pondicherry experience is a walk along the seafront promenade in the evening, when the whole city comes out for a stroll.